Shutter Speed & Movement

Aside from balancing your exposure, the other thing your shutter speed deter-

mines is the appearance of motion in your photograph: whether a moving sub-

ject looks sharp or blurred.

Harold EdgertonFrank Gohlke

Because shutter speed is the amount of time that the shutter is open, it is also

the amount of time that is recorded on your film.

Harold EdgertonFrank Gohlke

This means that shutter speeds can stop or freeze movement if only a very quick

moment of time is recorded, but if the shutter is open for a longer slice of time, a

moving subject can be captured as a blur.

Harold EdgertonFrank Gohlke

As a photographer, you have the option of choosing a shutter speed that is either

fast enough to stop motion or slow enough to create a blur.

1/2

Slow shutter speed

1/30 1/400

Fast shutter speed

And this decision depends entirely on the effect you’re looking for.

John Guttman Otto Steinert

Most of the time, you’ll probably want to stop movement, and doing so requires

a pretty fast shutter speed.

Elliot Erwitt

The exact shutter speed you’ll need depends to a large extent on your subject

and how fast it is moving (i.e., you’d need a faster shutter speed to capture a fast-

er motion than you would a slower one).

Eugene Richards

Gary Winogrand Eugene Richards

In general, in order to produce a sharp image that freezes motion you will need

the very fastest shutter speeds (1/125, 1/500, 1/1000, etc)

You also have the option of showing motion by deliberately blurring your sub-

ject through the use of a slow shutter speed while shooting something that

moves quickly.

Paul Caponigro

Deliberately blurring a subject within an otherwise sharp image is an effective

way to show or document movement, and also helps to create a unique mood

or atmosphere.

John Goodman

This is done by keeping the shutter speed fast enough to keep the stationary

parts of the scene (i.e., architecture, rocks, etc) sharp, but slow enough to show

the moving parts of the scene (i.e., running water, moving people, etc) as a blur.

John Goodman

The rule of thumb with this is that the slower the shutter speed is the greater

the blurring effect will be.

Sebastiao Salgado

A helpful hint for these sort of experiments with slow shutter speeds is that you

may want to use a tripod or steady your camera on a solid surface so that your

blurry results will be the recording of your subject’s motion and not due to your

own camera shake.66 The Shutter5

Using a tripod

Steadying the Camera

Holding camera correctlyCamera shake

Bracing the camera

Accidental camera movement during exposure is called camera shake and results in an overallimage blur (upper left). Camera shake most often occurs when you use shutter speeds that are tooslow to handhold the camera steadily. To minimize unwanted blur, be sure to set a fast enoughshutter speed (1/30 to 1/60 or faster), hold the camera correctly (upper right), or brace the cameraagainst a support (lower left). Often the most reliable way to hold a camera steady is to place it ona tripod (lower right).

Horenstein.05.Shutter.56-67 3/11/05 11:54 AM Page 66

Camera shake will happen when hand-holding generally at a shutter speed of 1/30 or slower.

A helpful hint for these sort of experiments with slow shutter speeds is that you

may want to use a tripod or steady your camera on a solid surface so that your

blurry results will be the recording of your subject’s motion and not due to your

own camera shake.

66The Shutter 5

Using a tripod

Steadying the Camera

Holding camera correctly Camera shake

Bracing the camera

Accidental camera movement during exposure is called camera shakeand results in an overallimage blur (upper left). Camera shake most often occurs when you use shutter speeds that are tooslow to handhold the camera steadily. To minimize unwanted blur, be sure to set a fast enoughshutter speed (1/30 to 1/60 or faster), hold the camera correctly (upper right), or brace the cameraagainst a support (lower left). Often the most reliable way to hold a camera steady is to place it ona tripod (lower right).

Horenstein.05.Shutter.56-67 3/11/05 11:54 AM Page 66

66 The Shutter5

Using a tripod

Steadying the Camera

Holding camera correctlyCamera shake

Bracing the camera

Accidental camera movement during exposure is called camera shake and results in an overallimage blur (upper left). Camera shake most often occurs when you use shutter speeds that are tooslow to handhold the camera steadily. To minimize unwanted blur, be sure to set a fast enoughshutter speed (1/30 to 1/60 or faster), hold the camera correctly (upper right), or brace the cameraagainst a support (lower left). Often the most reliable way to hold a camera steady is to place it ona tripod (lower right).

Horenstein.05.Shutter.56-67 3/11/05 11:54 AM Page 66

Camera shake will happen when hand-holding generally at a shutter speed of 1/30 or slower.

To Capture Frozen Motion use Fast shutter speeds:

1/125, 1/500, 1/1000, and faster

To Capture Blurred Motion use Slow Shutter speeds:

1/30, 1/15, 1/8, and slower

motion lovers

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Francessca Woodman

Francessca Woodman

Francessca Woodman

Francessca Woodman

Francessca Woodman

Francessca Woodman

Otto Steinert

Otto Steinert

Otto Steinert

Harold Edgerton

Harold Edgerton

Harold Edgerton

Harold Edgerton

Harold Edgerton

Harold Edgerton

Harold Edgerton

Harold Edgerton

Harold Edgerton

Harold Edgerton

Philippe Halsman

Philippe Halsman

Philippe Halsman

Philippe Halsman

neat stuff

Man Ray

Man Ray

Pablo Picasso/ Gjon Mili

Pablo Picasso/ Gjon Mili

Hiroshi Sugimoto

Hiroshi Sugimoto

Hiroshi Sugimoto

Hiroshi Sugimoto

Hiroshi Sugimoto